


“Please pretend to be my boyfriend.”

by Aidaran, StarTravel



Series: Garashir ficlets and drabbles [7]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Fun, Getting Together, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Orion Syndicate, Pre-Slash, undercover agents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 15:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19976479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aidaran/pseuds/Aidaran, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarTravel/pseuds/StarTravel
Summary: Sisko should know better than to send them undercover to a mission.





	“Please pretend to be my boyfriend.”

Sisko regretted the decision of sending Julian and Garak to the Orion Syndicate right away. Of course, he couldn’t send Miles, who was already identified as Starfleet, Kira was assisting with the Bajoran elections, and a trill or a klingon would have been too noticeable, but still, sending the doctor to get the information and hoping Garak would be able to keep him alive was not one of his best moments. Still, there were not a lot of choices, so he sighed as Julian happily waved before running inside the runabout.

Julian convinced the mafia quite easily that he was about to sell information about the Federation. He had researched for his part a lot and practiced in the holosuite. He felt he was born to do this. The problem was, the Orion agents distrusted Garak. Why was that rogue human with one of the damn lizards in the first place? Ok, improvising was not one of his talents but he could do it!

“Garak? He’s not here - he’s just my, my boyfriend. I wanted him along to experience those thermal spas you talked about earlier. You know how Cardassians like the heat.”

Garak schooled his expression and smiled at them, softly touching his hand and adopting the most servicial pose a low class cardassian could in front of a mate. He looked all but polite and adoring all evening.

Julian glanced at him with an affectionate, lovesick look all evening and held his hand here and there. It helped that he was lovesick for Garak, although he knew there was a storm about to be unleashed as soon as they were alone. Every so often Garak gave him small squeezes that were just one step from being nails clawing his hand.

Soon, Julian stopped being the center of attention, with Garak ending up getting more information in an hour than him in two weeks. It was short of a master class in the subtle art of being a double agent, and Julian couldn’t help thinking how exciting it was to watch the cardassian do what he knew best. 

Once they were alone and Garak made sure the room was not bugged, he turned at the human, livid. His scales were so dark and engorged, it reminded him of an angry cat.

"Care to explain to me all that circus out there?"

“I needed a reason for why you were with me.” Julian offered with his hands up, looking a bit sheepish. “I couldn’t think of anything else.”

"Couldn't you tell me in advance? I thought you had everything planned."

“I didn’t know that was the plan until I said it! I didn’t expect us to be called to the main room instead of talking with my contact.”

"Yes, that much was clear,  _ doctor _ ." There was venom in his voice.

"Just... please pretend to be my boyfriend. Don't blow my cover, Garak, the captain trust me to find where the genetic experiments are taking place."

“Fine, Fine. But remember that you owe me, doctor.”

"Yes, I'm sure you won't forget this any time soon." He rolled his eyes and then, when he gave a better look at their quarters, his heart sank. "They, um, they really bought our story. There's only one bed and no couch."

He pointed at the bedroom, apologetic.

Garak frowned a little, tilting his head a bit. He tried to remember all the literature he read, and thought it didn’t sound as weird as Julian was making it seem.

“And? Do human friends never share a bed?”

"Not since the XIX century." Julian cleared his throat. Now he really had messed up. There was no way of making it sound either seductive or normal after his horrified face.

“It’s quite common on Cardassia.”

"Oh, um, yes, I remember a passage in one of your books that... well, nevermind. What side do you want?" He was bright red and avoiding looking at Garak. Really, he's not a first year cadet, why couldn't he keep his cool?

“I tend to prefer the right.” Garak started undressing casually like they did this all the time, slowly taking his clothes off and neatly folding them on the nightstand. Julian turned around, even redder than before. What if Garak had figured out his long secret crush? What if he was furious or thought Julian set this up?

"Garak, don't you want to go to the bathroom to change, to preserve your, eh, privacy?"

Garak was enjoying revenge so much. After smiling for 6 hours, clinging to his arm like a teen and talking with all sorts of bad breathed mafia bosses who liked to stand a bit too close for his comfort, the least Julian deserved was a bit of embarrassment.

“No, that’s a bit silly, don’t you think? Besides, you are a doctor, you’ve seen it all.”

"It's not the same being in an operating room than in a hotel room, you know." He grabbed his own pajamas and scurried away to the bathroom, closing the door and leaning on it, panting. It was all his fault, but really, Garak could at least pretend not to be enjoying it so much.

Garak scoffed a little, smirking when the door shut. Julian changed rapidly, trying to dispel any awkwardness. Garak did not like him back, after all. He flirted as a joke, and probably would laugh it off if he tried to make a move. He was angry at what had happened, so it made sense he’d try to embarrass him.

He came back to find Garak only dressed with an undershirt and underwear, looking inside one of their bags. The bigger one seemed to be missing.

"Doctor, we seem to have misplaced my own clothes, my bag never arrived to the room. Hope you won't mind me sleeping like this, I don't think your clothes will fit me."

Julian opened and closed his mouth a few times. He was quite sure if he got a bit more flustered he’d melt on the spot he was standing on.

“You haven’t tried them yet. I’m -I’m wider than I look. Maybe...”

"I'm a tailor. I think I may be able to discern if something will fit or not. Will you get inside the bed or not?"

“Just try them on!” Julian pleaded in a low voice, even though he knew it was pointless. Nothing he owned was going to fit Garak, and he doubted he really lost his clothes anyway. Was this retaliation really necessary? He had already said sorry.

"Only because you sound so desperate, my dear. It won't do having you beg like that." Julian's jaw fell suddenly. What the hell was that? Garak smiled at him while trying a shirt, and of course, it ended up ripping. That certainly didn’t help Julian’s frame of mind. His mind had already gone to the gutter the moment Garak started to play the mafia bosses, and now this. It was not fair!

Julian watched it tear across Garak’s wider chest and decided not to point out he was actually meaning for Garak to put some pants on. Really, he didn’t need to see him tear his pants as well. Really, really didn’t.

“I - I suppose you’re right.” Julian was extremely flustered at this point.

"Told you so, my dear.” Now, Julian was not imagining it. There was a certain intonation to his endearment. Why was Garak playing with him like this? “Now, come to bed with me?"

“I - all right.” Julian gulped a bit at the way Garak said it, at the way he was smiling like a cat who just caught the canary. But surely Garak was just teasing him and he was unfortunately not said canary. He needed a way out before his crush became too obvious. “Or, or maybe I should take a shower first!”

Garak got closer and smelled him, just close enough Julian could feel his hot breath in his face. He couldn’t help leaning in so they were almost touching, a hand brushing against a ridge somewhere. 

"You are clean, dear. You can do so in the morning."

Julian stuttered a bit and took a step back, eyes wide as he sat on the edge of the bed. Trapped. Dumbfounded. Victim of his own lack of planning.

“I suppose I am.”

Garak raised the covers and slid inside, patting at his side for Julian to follow. Julian did, lying carefully and trying to seem as casual and loose as possible. He needed to start acting more normally, confident and cool and not like he was getting into bed with his crush. 

And then, Julian felt a cold foot in his back.

The human gulped not sure what to do. He took air a couple times before deciding to ask, since the foot was not quite moving from its place, instead slowly sliding down, to places he didn’t quite want to think about. 

"Garak, is there a reason I have an ice cold foot in my back?" His voice sounded a bit more high pitched than he intended for it to.

“It’s a lot warmer than the sheets. Obviously.”

"But it's a bit rude, don't you think?"

And then he felt the second foot there. Lower. Yes, it was deliberate, that much was obvious.

“No, I think it’s quite rude for you to deny me your warmth. Humans often huddle together for it in those novels you give me.”

He felt now a scaly hand running through his chest, pulling him closer. And again the hot breath against his neck.

"It's polite to ask first." His voice sounded a bit choked. Was the air even getting to his lungs? Because he could swear it wasn’t.

“Right, then would you mind huddling for warmth with me?” Garak asked in a purr as he pulled Julian back so his back was against Garak’s chest, his scaly legs now one between his own human and lean ones and the other over his hip.

“Far be it from me to leave you in the cold when my warm body is right here.” Julian tried to make his voice sound dry, though it came out more strangled than anything else. 

Was it a dream or a nightmare? Garak raised a bit of an eyeridge at that as he ran his hands up and down his chest slowly, carefully pushing one thigh forward so it was more fully between Julian’s legs. 

“What was that, dear?”

"What are you doing, Garak?" He felt he couldn't move. Didn’t want to, either. And definitely, air was not getting to his lungs or brain anymore.

“Getting warm.”

"Then why is your nose in my neck?" his voice sounded even higher than before, and he cursed himself for that. So much for trying to keep his cool.

“The skin on your neck is warmer than my nose.” Garak said this as though it was perfectly reasonable, voice dropping a few octaves.

Then Julian felt something and squeaked and jumped to the border of the bed, eyes wide open and panting, shocked. 

"You licked me!"

“I thought - doctor, I am sorry.” Garak suddenly let go of him completely. For once the apology in his voice was genuine. “I thought - I thought you were playing one of your games.”

"What game, Garak? You licked me!" he still couldn't get out of his shock, but at the same time missed the feeling of him. What was wrong with his head? He stood at the side of the bed, eyes wide open.

“I thought you were trying to seduce me using of those techniques from your novels.” Garak admitted, the guilt in his expression actually seeming genuine for once. His face was of a darker grey Julian imagined was akin a blush in a human. “Undercover lovers, I think you call it?”

"Oh, I... I didn't think you'd be interested in me. I thought it was revenge."

“Wait, you thought I wasn’t interested in you?”

"You seemed quite angry at me for making you play the part today." 

“Because you didn’t warn me with enough time to make sure I had all the necessary information.”

"I was improvising. I didn't have the information." He relaxed and got closer to him again. This was not a game, then? Had he blown his chance by freaking out at a small lick on the neck? Then something clicked in his head. “Wait, so you are willing to give this a try?”

Garak threw his hands to the air, giving a very theatrical sigh and eyeroll.

"Dear, I've been trying to make you notice I want to give it a try for years. I decided to drop the cardassian subtlety when I thought you were making a move since you, obviously, are not a subtle person."

Julian felt his jaw fall again. If he kept it like this, he was sure he’d have to operate his muscles, because sooner or later one would end up tearing up.

“I - maybe not. Though apparently neither are you. I’ve been dropping hints for just as long, Garak!”

Garak looked at him as if he had suddenly turned into a Ragnar. Really?

"When, for all of Cardassia's love? I haven't seen anything remotely similar to a hint in 5 years."

“Really? When I risked my life and career by sneaking into Cardassia to save your life, it didn’t give you any type of clue?” Julian said this flatly. “Or when I spent years following you around like a puppy and smiling at every clever thing you said!”

"Those are very confusing hints, my dear." He crossed his arms. He was not ready to just concede that point to the doctor, not when it was not something as easy to see as he was claiming it was.

“... How?”

"You could very well go to save the captain's life as well. And you follow everybody like a puppy."

“No, I don’t! When have I ever followed anyone but you and Jadzia around like that?”

"What about Miles?"

“I didn’t follow Miles around like a puppy. I acted like a perfectly normal friend.”

Garak looked at him flatly, not breaking eye contact.

"... really?"

“Yes, of course. I greeted him just like I would anyone else.”

Garak sighed. He knew a lost battle when it was in front of him. If Julian wanted to think he was subtle and suave, just let him be.

"I give up, doctor, let's not discuss this further. Will you come back here? my feet are freezing."

“Yes, yes. Now that we’re both on the same page - we are, aren’t we? You want to cuddle with me for real and possibly date me after this, right?”

"Only cuddle, dear? I went through all the trouble of ripping your clothes off for only cuddling? Be still, my tailor heart, this man is beyond salvation."

Garak rolled his eyes dramatically again and Julian couldn’t help snorting at that, sitting on the bed at his side.

“That’s rather forward for a first date, my dear tailor.”

"Oh, we haven't even had a first date yet, despite of what those mafia men seem to think, but I'm not sure you care about the order of things."

“Why Garak, are you calling me easy?” Now it was his turn to lean over the other man, smiling a bit nervously and sliding inside the covers again.

"I'm only saying we can skip certain steps and do them later, don't you think?"

“Well, I suppose we could. We have already shared a bed, after all.”

He felt the cold feet crawl again over his legs, one between his thighs shamelessly.

Julian leaned over and kissed him, one hand sliding through his hair. It was not how he had imagined their first date would go, but then, who was him to complain about this opportunity? 

“We really do need to warm up those feet of yours.”

"I'm afraid all of me is cold. You'll have to really do something about that."

“Hmm, I can think of a few things.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love!


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